St. Paul daily globe., 1887-05-27
CAPT. BARNEY's WILL.
What n New York Newspaper Has
tOSay of the Case.


The Watertown On. " Times of
April %, speaking of the contested will
of the late Capt. Thomas j. Barney, of
st. Paul, who died in this city, leaving
his property to his surviving brothers
and sisters and their children, with the
one exception of his sister, Mrs.
Elizabeth Bennett, says: '.R. w. Row.
land, "a hardware merchant of Versailles,
H., one of the grandchildren, came
East few days ago for the purpose of
looking up evidence. He retained
MessrS. D0rwin & Brown as his attor
neyS, and has spent something over
week i'll personal investigation. To a
Times reporter Mr.. Rowland said his
search had been attended with
anticipated. He found many
persons who knew Thomas j. Barney
when he lived in Watertown and Car
thage some thirty or forty years ago,
and among them were people who were
familiar with his family affairs. Though
Capt. Barney claimed, and was gener-
ally supposed to be bachelor by people
in St. Panl, where he spent the last
thirty years of his life, Mr. Rowland
says he found evidence that shows
quite beyond doubt that he was mar
ried at least twice before he went to
that city. The first Mrs. Barney died
in Watertown, in 1888, of consumption.
The family then lived in what was
known as the Baker block. Mr.. Row.
lands mother at that time was only two
or three years of age, and she was taken
into the family of brother of Capt.
Barney, at SacketS Harbor, where
she was reared and educated.
The maiden name of her mother
was Wells, and she had a sister Mary
Wells, who afterward became Mrs. I. j.
Barney second. Only one thing has got
to be shown in order
To VITIATE TIE WILL
which leaves the estate to nieceS and
nephews of Capt. Barney, and that is
the fact that he was legally married,
and that Mrs. Rowland was daughter
by such marriage. When this is proved,
the estate will be divided among the
seven grandchildren now | wing. With
the evidence already secured Mr.. Row
land thinks they Will be able to establish
this point very clearly.
The estate, which was at one time re-
ported as being worth S250,000, consists
of 265 shares of bank stock and the
Commercial hotel property in ST. Paul,
together with a few personal effects.
The real value is about S120,000. Ac-
cording to the provisions of the will,
this would be divided among thirty-twO
persons, several of whom live in Jetfer-
son and Lawrence counties. Elizabeth
Bennett, the sister of Capt. Barney,
who, with her children, was cut off in
the will, has been dead some time. A
daughter, Mrs. Eliza Merrill, lives in
Wilmington, Ill.
The clause in the will referring to this
sister and her family brings out story
of brothers ingratitude, and also gives
some information in regard to the title
of captain, by which Mr.. Barney was
best known in st. Paul. When Mr..
Barney lived in Watertown he was in
the tanning business with Jason Fair
banks. From here he went to Garth
age, where he engaged in the same trade
and failed. He then went to Wheeling,
W. Va, where he was given
place as mate on steamer
run by his brother-in-law on the
Ohio river. Very much through the
efforts of his sister and her husband, he
was placed Oh his feet again, and put in
way to acquire the large fortune of
which he died possessed and of which
he denied them or their children pOr-
ton in his will. Mr.. Barney's river
service gave him the title of captain,
Though he never commanded a vessel.
1t is understood that negotiations have
been opened with view OF settling the
contest already begun without resort to
legal proceedings. 1t is not to be ex-
pected, however, that the matter will
be so easily disposed of. The case at
tracts a good deal of attention in st.
Paul, and will be watched with equal
interest here.